Until Death Do Us Part
by Natecchi
Summary: Newt was generally a careful man, but nothing could prepare him for this. Warning: Major Character Death {Part 1 of Let It Die Series}
1. Chapter 1

Newt still remembers the way Percival's skin feels against his. He still remembers the natural heat it emanated. He still could smell Percival's cologne on his own clothes as the memory of their shared morning kiss was just equally brightly imprinted in his mind beside the many other memories of the man he loves.

His wand is clutched hard in his hand. However, his fingers are trembling and his vision is blurring, the blood, dripping down from the cut on his forehead, making it go red.

He hears noises from all directions, screams particularly, but also cracking sounds of buildings collapsing and he feels how the earth beneath him just gives in.

Newt manages to apparate at a safe distance and watches as the pavement he had just been on cracks, blocks of it falling into the tunnels underneath with loud thuds.

He brings his free hand to his eyes and cleans his vision of the red sticky liquid. He doesn't have time to lose, he has to find Percival in this chaos.

Feeling unsteady on his feet, Newt pauses after the few steps he took and instead looks frantically around him, in hope to see the familiar two-toned hair. He doesn't spot Percival, at least he's not nearby and it makes Newt wonder just how far away from each other they were thrown by that blow.

Someone bumps into him and he stumbles. His body is beyond exhausted of all the things happening right there, right now. He breathes in and out steadily, trying to come back to the reality at hand.

His eyes catch flashes of the curses and spells flying back and forth and he quickly realizes that the street they were peacefully walking on just moments ago became the scene of cruelty and unscrupulous murder.

Wizards and witches battle against each other in an endless exchange of deadly curses, some of which miss their targets while others hit either a shield or an unprotected body, and when the latter happens, Newt shivers at the strangled screams he hears, at the image of utter shock and pure, primal fear in person's eyes before they go dulll, the body falling limply on the cold pavement.

Newt drags his feet while his eyes are searching among the wizards, the lying unmoving bodies, for anything, really. He keeps muttering Percival's name like a prayer under his breath.

He dodges some curses, other he paries with the skill of a warrior, his eyes never stopping searching for that particular person, whose name still lefts his trembling lips which started to taste like iron.

Blood floods into his mouth and Newt starts to feel a wrecking pain in his lower abdomen. His suit is soaked there and he lowers his free of wand hand to touch. The liquid is hot and sticky, the same as the one he wiped off his eyes earlier.

He curses silently under his breath. He had been wounded and didn't even observe it. Concluding that it happened because of all the adrenaline pumping through his system due to the situation he's in, Newt falls to his knees and rips the fabric of his clothing around the wound, casting a healing spell. He had been through worse previously.

The blood stops painting his clothes further and he gets back on his feet. The hell around him unleashes when a second blow follows. There are more screaming people, more sounds of crashing and more dead bodies covering the remaining of the street's pavement.

Newt doesn't know what is going on, and if he's being sincere, he doesn't really care. Everything he cares about in this moment is Percival, who still is somewhere there and Newt's eyes stubbornly refuse to find him.

As he keeps walking, something makes him stop in his tracks and his eyes widen. He wants to shout at the man, who's just steps away from being hit by a curse, but he's too late and the man, the familiar broad back is hit and Newt watches in horror how the place the man was in seconds ago explodes. Furious flames envelope the entire area and Newt plainly forgets how to breathe.

He runs, stumbles, falls, gets to his feet and runs again. It couldn't be happening for real, could it?


	2. Chapter 2

Obviously not, since Percival is too much of a skillful auror to even be surprised of such a low act as hitting your enemy's back. A sound of apparition follows and Percival is now standing just barely feet away from Newt. He turns around and points his wand at Newt, ready to attack or defend. Newt couldn't blame the man, not after the trauma he suffered while being Grindelwald's hostage for months.

Percival recognizes Newt after a moment and there's a smile tugging at his lips. Newt smiles too and closes the distance between them. Percival's smile widens as Newt's arms wrap around him and he's being squeezed tightly to a trembling chest. Newt releases a shuddering breath and nuzzles his neck.

"I thought- no, never mind." Newt mumbles under his breath and his grip on Percival's back tightens.

Percival shushes him, as he always does when Newt enters his mother-hen mode and Newt chuckles.

In this chaotic hell, where death is around every corner, he feels at ease. With Percival beside him he's capable of many things he considered impossible before. This man gives him strength and will, and more importantly, he loves Newt just the same as Newt loves him. He doesn't need Percival to say it out loud, because he knows just by looking into those eyes, which watches him fondly, he knows just by feeling those hands around him. He feels safe in Percival's arms and Newt hopes that Percival feels safe in his.

Newt's eyes flutter closed and in the next moment he's kissed hard by Percival. This kiss is so passionate and gentle at the same time that Newt feels his heart jump wildly in his chest. Everything around them shuts off and the only thing Newt can think about in that moment are Percival's lips against his.

They part, Newt opens his eyes and sees Percival watching him back. There's a glint in those dark brown eyes and Newt just feels weak under that gaze. Percival's eyes travel from Newt's face upwards and he frowns. Newt tilts his head in confusion and makes a move to turn around.

It happens so fast that Newt's mind barely perceives it. Percival grips his shoulders and flips them over. He's holding Newt in an iron grip, he shields him and the realization of it makes Newt's blood freeze in his veins.

He feels how Percival's body is trembling violently against his and he struggles to get out of Percival's tight grip, but that's useless, the man doesn't budge. He hears Percival groaning in pain, feels blood on his face and he's sure it's not his blood, but Percival's. He's sobbing, struggling, he's on verge of punching the man just to make him let go.

"Percival, let go!"

Percival just keeps shushing him, his trembling lips muttering repeatedly "I love you." in Newt's ear. His grip eventually loosens and Newt breaks free. He sees how some wizards are retreating but he doesn't care about anything in this moment, but the man who falls in his arms.

They slide on the cold ground and Newt's eyes search frantically for Percival's eyes. They still have that glint in them and Percival smiles fondly.

"You're okay." He says and his voice is hoarse. Newt then sees blood on his lips and wipes them with his trembling fingers. "I'm glad." Percival chuckles, but it's beyond forced and Newt wants him to stop.

Percival breaks into a coughing fit, more blood gushing through his parted lips. Newt's eyes fill with tears while his heart beats painfully in his chest. Unfair. This is just unfair.

A trembling hand reaches up and wipes at Newt's tears and then it goes down abruptly. Time stops. He finds himself clutching the limp body of his lover to his chest. It's hard to breathe, he's suffocating in his sobs and he hears someone screaming.

Then he realizes that he's the one screaming. But he couldn't stop it. Neither the tears running down his cheeks, neither the screams, neither the enormous pain in his chest. Neither his own heart from keeping to beat and keeping him alive.


End file.
